Deworming in Pets

How Worms in Dogs Are Contracted

At Countryside Veterinary Clinic, we love helping educate our clients about the best
detection and prevention methods for worms in dogs, and we pride ourselves on
providing our canine patients in and around the Ellicott City area with the utmost in
care and treatment protocols. Due to their outdoor lifestyles and social natures, most
dogs will be at risk of contracting worms throughout their lives. Some of the most
common ways to contract worms in dogs include:

 Drinking contaminated milk from the mother during nursing

 Rolling in, sniffing, eating, stepping in, or licking contaminated soil
 Consuming infected prey like rodents, birds, and reptiles
 Mosquito, flea, and tick bites and ingestion
 Coming into contact with an infected dog or another infected animal
 Consuming or coming into contact with an infected animal’s feces or vomit
It is very important to understand that worms in dogs can cause severe medical issues
and health conditions if left untreated. This is why we recommend discussing a dog
worm preventive protocol with your veterinarian. You can learn how to spot some
common symptoms of worms in dogs, and also how you can go about preventing the
presence and spread of worms in and around your home and family, by reading on.

Types of Dog Worms

The following intestinal parasites are some of the most common types of dog worms:

 Roundworms: The most common dog worms. Roundworms in dogs reach 3 - 5” long

in adulthood, and they resemble a piece of wet spaghetti. Roundworms in dogs can be
transmitted via the nursing process, by feeding on an infected animal, or by contact
with the infected feces of another animal.
 Tapeworms: Tapeworms in dogs have long and flat ⅛” segmented bodies that can
grow to 8 inches in length. Dogs get tapeworms when they encounter or ingest a host
that is carrying tapeworm eggs, like a bird or a flea.
 Hookworms: Hookworms in dogs are the smallest of all common dog
worm varieties. Hookworms reside primarily in the small intestine. They grow to
 approximately 1" in length and feed on the dog's blood. They can cause life-
threatening anemia in dogs of all ages, but especially puppies. Hookworms are passed
in the feces and they can infect other animals and people too.
 Whipworms: Whipworms in dogs are about ¼” long and reside in the cecum and
colon. Whipworms can cause severe damage to these organs, and they are considered
one of the most harmful dog worms in existence. 
 Heartworms: Heartworms in dogs live in the heart and pulmonary arteries. They are
transmitted by infected mosquitoes, which migrate throughout the body over about
six months before finally coming to rest in the circulatory system. Heartworms are
transmitted only from an infected mosquito’s bite and not within or between species.
They are preventable and treatable but they can be fatal if not diagnosed and arrested
before the advanced stages of infestation. Because of the abundance of ponds, lakes,
rivers and streams in Maryland, mosquitos are common and therfore heartworm
prevention is very, very, important in Maryland. 
 Ringworm: Ringworm, or dermatophytosis, is a skin disease caused by a fungus that
results in lesions and sores on the epidermal (or outer skin) layer. Interestingly,
ringworm is not caused by a worm at all but by a fungal infection instead. Ringworm
is curable, but treatment can take time.
We recommend contacting your veterinarian immediately should you suspect or
witness any symptoms of tapeworms in dogs. There are very effective forms of oral
and injectable medications we can prescribe, but arresting and intervening in the early
stages of an infestation is beneficial.

Symptoms of Dog Worms

It is important for dog owners to be on the lookout for symptoms of worms because
by the time your canine friend displays signs of infestation, the process is usually
already well along. Some of the most common symptoms of worms in dogs are:

 Weight loss accompanied by a marked increase or decrease in appetite

 Distended abdomen, or "pot-bellied" appearance
 Lethargy
 Vomiting
 Diarrhea/chronic soft stools
 Chronic coughing
 Dulling of coat and/or hair loss accompanied by skin irritation/inflammation
 Rubbing or dragging the hindquarters across the ground
 The visible presence of segments of tapeworms in dogs attached to the skin and fur
around the anus/hindquarters area
 The visible presence of roundworms in the stool, like tiny grains of rice
These symptoms of worms in dogs can also indicate other illnesses, so we recommend
contacting your veterinarian immediately if you suspect or witness any of these
symptoms of worms in your dog.

How Are Dog Worms Treated?

Dog worms are generally treatable as long as they are diagnosed, arrested, and treated
before the onset of advanced stages of infestation. Your veterinarian can prescribe the
proper deworming medication (anthelmintic) along with the appropriate
administration protocol based on the type of parasite and the extent of the infestation.

 For tapeworms in dogs, the medication breaks up tapeworms inside of the intestinal

tract, making them too small to see in the feces.
 For roundworms in dogs, the medication detaches the worms from the intestinal
tract, which are then excreted into and with the stool.
 For hookworms in dogs, the medication kills adult hookworms only. We recommend
another treatment in 2 - 4 weeks to treat the hookworms that were babies during the
first treatment.
 For ringworm in dogs, we can prescribe antifungal medications, shampoos, lime-
sulfur dips, and the shaving or severely affected areas.
 For whipworms in dogs, we can prescribe medication in 3 - 4 week intervals and then
every 3 - 4 months to help prevent a re-infestation.
 For heartworms in dogs, and depending upon the severity of the infestation, we can
prescribe oral and injectable medications.
We highly recommend consulting your veterinarian before purchasing or
administering any over-the-counter or prescription medication for dog worms. Only
your veterinarian can determine the severity of the infestation, order the proper
number of treatments, and provide any other recommended instructions.

Are Worms In Dogs A Danger To My Family?

Some types of worms in dogs, like roundworms, are very dangerous to human beings,
especially children who play in areas frequented by host animals like raccoons, dogs,
and cats. Sandboxes and other dirt- and sand-covered outdoor play areas routinely
serve as makeshift litter boxes for animals infected with dog worms, and many other
intestinal parasites. In fact, approximately 10,000 children per year are infected with
 parasitic worms, and conditions including blindness can occur in severe cases.
However, there are several effective precautionary measures you can take to help keep
you and your family free from worms.

Steps To Prevent Dog Worms

Fortunately, various preventive measures can be taken to help ensure your human,
canine, and other assorted family members remain at a lower risk for contracting and
spreading dog worms. Some preventive measures to reduce the risk of worms in dogs
include:

 Initial treatments are given to all puppies at 3 weeks of age

 Treating nursing females, to prevent the spread of worms through nursing
 Monthly dog worm preventive medication, given year round, as prescribed by your
veterinarian, which is usually incorporated within your heartworn preventative.
 Fecal examinations 
 Prompt detection and intervention in the form of a dewormer for dogs
 Clean up backyard feces periodically, at least 2 - 3 times per week
 In public parks, playgrounds, and dog parks, immediately dispose of feces with
sanitary gloves and sealable bags
 Stressing sanitary and hygienic conditions in the home, including limiting internal
exposure to contaminated soil, fecal matter, and/or host animals
 Stressing hygiene in public, and especially with children, by limiting or avoiding
exposure to potentially contaminated objects, locations, animals, or people

Deworming Puppies and New Dogs

There are few thrills a family can experience like providing a forever home for a new
puppy or dog. However, both newly homed puppies and rehomed adult dogs should
be dewormed as follows:

 Puppies: Initial treatment at 3 weeks of age and then as directed by your veterinarian.

After the initial treatment(s) are completed, we recommend a monthly heartworm
preventive that also helps prevent intestinal parasites. This should be the beginning of
an annual dewormer for dogs protocol, which your veterinarian can monitor and
adjust if necessary.
 Adult Dogs: Once the initial dewormer for dogs has been given as a puppy, dogs
should receive monthly preventives year round. Additionally, we recommend
performing fecal tests annually.
 Newly Acquired Dogs: Regardless of the dog's age or documented history, we
recommend a dewormer immediately upon acquisition, then again as recommended
by your veterinarian, followed by monthly preventative dewormer for dogs as
directed.